Makers' Inc. Makers' Base Chiba (Chiba City, Chiba)

Challenges

Improvements

We wanted to introduce to our studio a textile printer that allows to express envisioned ideas more easily than honzome-dyeing, silk screen and digital textile printing.

With the user-friendly sublimation transfer, we gained the ability to visualize free imaginations directly on textiles, being free from design limitations. We can print it on site and immediately start sewing, which is convenient for workshop and well-received by beginners.

Offering a place for anyone to turn ideas of “making” into a piece of work

Yui Masuda, Staff

Conclusive fact in introducing TS30-1300

Simple operability friendly for members

Expansion of design by sublimation transfer

Affordable price makes introduction easy

Place for anyone to enjoy “making”

Makers' Inc. was launched in 2013 as a membership-based shared studio in order to provide a place for anyone to realize a dream of “being a maker”.

I guess there have been no shared studios where people with diversified needs can freely use a wide variety of tools for many genres, although there were cases where professionals of the same genre share a studio.

Opened in Meguro, Tokyo 6 years ago, Makers' Base Tokyo keeps over 100 pieces of equipment for different genres including wood working, metal working, pottery and textiles in a space of over 800m2. From people aspiring to become a professional to those who just want to create their original piece of work, anyone can register as a member to use the equipment freely.

Makers' Base Chiba was opened on the 3rd floor of Sogo Chiba JUNNU last September. Located in a department store, this shared studio is more accessible and easier to enter.

Produce your original textile more easily and freely

TS30-1300

When we were trying to launch Makers' Base Chiba, we considered to introduce to our studio a sublimation transfer machine as a tool to directly print the design more easily than honzome-dyeing method, silk screen and digital textile printing. Considering that it would be used by members aspiring to become a professional, it had to be a high-quality and stable machine. However, it would not work if it is not made user-friendly for beginners. When we were exploring various products, what MIMAKI suggested was TS30-1300.

With the flexibility allowing to print necessary items in necessary volume, great operability, and affordable pricing, TS30-1300 was an optimum machine for shared studios like Makers' Base. We offer various workshops here. Among them, textile workshops using TS30-1300 such as “original skirt made with a scenic photo” and “front tucked skirt made by designing an original textile” are so popular that fully booked soon after they are advertised.

People who attend these workshops are surprised to know that photos they take and pictures they paint can be used to produce original textiles. Many of them hear the word “sublimation transfer” for the first time when they attend these workshops. Attendees are satisfied with what they made, and comment that it is beyond their expectations. The workshops even motivated many of them to start creating their original works.

You can continue it because it's not a class.
Let your imagination fly!

At Makers' Base Chiba, registered members can freely use the studio on an hourly, daily, monthly, or yearly basis. There are cases where members work on their creation while being taught by our staff if they request so. But basically the staff only teach how to use the equipment and let them use it freely. That's the way Makers' Base works. This is because we want our studio to be a place for people to create what they want to create as they like, not a class to learn something by being taught by a teacher.

TS30-1300 is also offered for use. After the staff teaches how to operate it, we leave it to the members. As it is easy to use, members print and transfer their original design to create their original items.

It's not only amateurs who visit the studio; Some visit us with an artist to print a textile to make a costume for live concert. Others come to test-print textiles ordered from a company. Also, the studio is commonly visited by students of art colleges and design schools who want to do their production assignments. We want them to fully utilize TS30-1300 and keep on producing wonderful pieces of work at Makers' Base.

Next steps we see; Orders from individuals and companies

Launched 6 years ago, Makers' Base now has over 7,000 members and enjoy increased publicity as one of the largest shared studio in Japan. Orders from companies and schools are increasing as well recently. I think it is because small-lot items that are rejected by big printers such as university novelties and T-shirts for corporate events match the scale of Makers' Base. In that sense, TS30-1300 is helpful because it provides sufficient quality level for producing items offered for sale.

We also sell original products of Makers' Base. Customers send their image data or illustration to us, and our staff design and produce a one-of-a-kind skirt using such data. In this way, we provide added values that are unique to Makers' Base. Recently, we receive increasing number of customized orders such as blankets and cushions other than skirts.

While responding to such needs flexibly, we hope to adhere to being a shared studio where people can enjoy making, and achieve further growth in the future.

Makers' Base Tokyo/Chiba

Established in 2013 as a membership-based shared studio in Meguro-ku, Tokyo. With the keyword “Individuals are leading actors. Makers' Base changes the world”, it provides a wide selection of equipment. It offers many distinguishing workshops and supports beginners to produce items. Now it is regarded as one of the largest membership-based shared studios in Japan.